Universe Fix my Tolerance

[lightrain67]

I think the universe is trying to get my attention. Twice in the past week I have stumbled across Amy Chua giving an interview - once on the radio, and then again last night on late night t.v. (I can never just turn off the light and go to sleep. I have to have my fix for attacking killer whales, dirty jobs, turner classics, or Larry King <---

Comments

[jeney]

I don't know anyone who has a problem with immigration. It's the illegal immigration that gets a little sticky.

[lightrain67]

you mean you've never heard anyone mutter under their breath..."go back to where you came from" toward someone they considered a foreigner? But you're right, illegal is the hot button.

[d_orlando]

The solution to the "illegal immigration problem" is simple - apply heavy, punishing fines for employers who hire them - if there's no bait, the fish will not bite - but this will never happen because both the GOP and the Dems are afraid of the economic and political fallout.

I'm curious how Chua ties immigration to the fall of empires, since in the case of imperialism it's the host country that's illegally crossing borders for the purpose of conquest.

[lightrain67]

True. But speaking of Rome in particular, in her interview she touched on an overwhelming "wave" of immigration leading to Rome's fall. Just one of a gazillion theories, I know. As for other empires...we'll just have to read the book. The Ottoman Empire is on deck for me this semester so ...this should get interesting.

As for us: Employers don't want to pay higher wages for american citizens and american citizens can't live off illegal immigrant wages so, either way, someone will take the bullet to end the cycle. The govt is already supposed to be policing illegal immigration (true!?) so I'm not sure that I have faith in their capacity to track it well enough to impose fines. I mean, they can't even keep illegal immigrants out of their own gardens and kitchens (slam on Romney, Kerik...) so, tell me how they could accomplish this. It's been at least 20 years since they instituted the I-9 Forms.

[d_orlando]

Regarding Rome: How can Chua call the movement of people within the empire as immigration? They were after all living under the same rule of the emperor. Does she mean the wave consisted of non-Italic/non-Roman people? There's a crack-pot racialist theory which claims that Roman mixing with its slave class and non-white population was a primary cause of its downfall, as if the "browning" of a white country is the beginning of its end. You can see where this bogus concept leads to - the fomentation of simmering racism as a means to increase membership in anti-establishment racist groups. The only outside groups that I can think of as outsiders - hence "illegal immigrants" - were the German, Slav and Hun barbarians who were actually outside of Roman Empire's borders ready to invade - which they did near the end of the empire. Is that the group she means? Must I read the book? >sighI realize my solution for the contemporary "illegal immigration" problem - fining the employer - is simple, but it is an honest one. Like prostitution, in

Thinking about you.

[hobovolvo]

I just wanted you to know that you popped into my head today and I was wondering how you were doing in this big crazy world. I know it's been years, but hopefully you will receive this message and are doing well.

(I went under shanduck and streetstupid on livejournal).